Insights

Google’s Panda 4.0: What Does This Mean for my Search Engine Ranking?

Early last week, on May 20th, Google issued an important announcement to web developers and online business owners alike: they announced the release of the latest version of their Panda algorithm, Panda 4.0. This latest version of the Panda algorithm has been designed to prevent lower-quality content and websites from rising in the Google search rankings. Matt Curtis, who is currently head of the Webspam Team at Google, made the announcement via Twitter last Tuesday.

The release of Panda 4.0 saw significant changes in the search engine rankings for a number of well-established companies and businesses. Websites such as ask.com, ebay.com and yellowpages.com have all seen a considerable drop in their rankings since its release.

So, you might be asking, what exactly does all this mean for my website?

The Good News:

For those who have put the time and resources into creating unique, quality content for their websites and online businesses, Panda 4.0 might actually see an improvement in their search engine rankings. Panda 4.0 has allowed Google to improve its ability to analyze and reward the overall SEO strategy of individual websites. This means that the following elements of your overall SEO strategy have become even more important:

Writing original, high-quality content.

Regularly producing and updating this content.

Creating trusted, high-quality and relevant links.

Ensuring that your site’s overall navigation and interface are as user-friendly and intuitive as possible.

The Bad News:

Panda 4.0 means, on the other hand, that it has become ever more difficult to neglect your overall SEO strategy. While, in the past, some websites have managed to rise in the rankings as a result of focusing on a number of key strategies, Panda 4.0 means that websites must ensure that they are giving sufficient attention to all aspects of their SEO strategy. This means that producing regular, original content, as well as improving your user's overall experience and developing trusted back-links, are all essential strategies for maintaining top positions in Google.